I've managed to get back onto my blog which is great as I couldn't access it once I arrived in Abu Dhabi as my VPN didn't work. Today I've managed to get onto it but it was in Arabic so has taken me a while to get that sorted and back into English.
I'm keeping a diary daily and usually write in it at some early hour of the morning, around 3am. This morning I slept till 4.45am which is the best sleep yet. As we are close to the mosque the call to prayer is at 6.30am but I've been up hours before that.
You'll laugh at me knowing that the gym in our hotel has the best view over the city. I've been up there early on the bike and now we'vediscovered a special walking track around a walled women's park. This morning we went out early for our walk at 6am then back for breakfast before 7am as we had a bus to pick us up 8.15am.
The weather is lovely, around 29-30 degrees they told us today although it doesn't feel like that. I'm beginning to adjust to wearing more clothes than I'm comfortable in.
The traffic is incredible. Outside our hotel there is a four lane highway each way. We tried crossing the road and it was impossible and so dangerous. You had to run but the cars travel around 100-120km in town. Crazy! We've been ripped off by a taxi driver who charged us 10 dirham to get from the mall. Yesterday we went twice the distance for 6.50 dirham which about $2.25 NZ.
The flight over with Etihad was long. Lochie was really sick and had to get Imodium from the cabin crew. Thought he had food poisoning, probably the sweet & sour pork he ate at Sydney airport. By the time we were landing I felt sick and had a splitting headache. The other two kiwis also felt sick so we had the driver stop at a pharmacy at 1am and bought Imodium.
We were met at the airport just as we disembarked with a woman with our name on a sheet of paper. We were treated like royalty and led along the long walk down to immigration. A porter was summoned with a flick of her wrist and our numerous bags were loaded onto a trolley. Ironically, I've spent years teaching Lochie to be the gentleman and lift our bags only to have him told, "No, Sir. You not lift!" Lochie and the bags were loaded into one car and sent off while us three Kiwis and an English girl went with our driver.
First impressions were what at clean city. The mosiac tiles bordering the highway were a sight to see. We travelled at great speed into the city taking in all the sights along the way, remembering it's after midnight but everything was all lit up.
On arrival at our hotel we got given rooms, girls on the 4th floor, boys on the 8th (including Lochie). So he's in teenage heaven with his own room. The boys do boy stuff (eat) and hang out together. They are locals at a food bar a couple of doors down from our hotel. It's been great for the boys to have each other while us girls roam the malls.
Our accomodation is at the Murjan Asfar Hotel Apartments next to Pizza Hut. As there are no street addresses and it's even difficult to know what street you are in, you use landmarks to get taxis. Rooms are nice, ours are basic but some have lounges.
We have discovered a walking track around a woman's park that has a soft surface so we go out at 6am for our daily walk. Then we all meet for breakfast and decide what we will do that day.
Must away. Still having a bit of trouble getting the technology set up but seems to be getting easier. Internet in the hotel is erratic and I often lose my work.
I'm keeping a diary daily and usually write in it at some early hour of the morning, around 3am. This morning I slept till 4.45am which is the best sleep yet. As we are close to the mosque the call to prayer is at 6.30am but I've been up hours before that.
You'll laugh at me knowing that the gym in our hotel has the best view over the city. I've been up there early on the bike and now we'vediscovered a special walking track around a walled women's park. This morning we went out early for our walk at 6am then back for breakfast before 7am as we had a bus to pick us up 8.15am.
The weather is lovely, around 29-30 degrees they told us today although it doesn't feel like that. I'm beginning to adjust to wearing more clothes than I'm comfortable in.
The traffic is incredible. Outside our hotel there is a four lane highway each way. We tried crossing the road and it was impossible and so dangerous. You had to run but the cars travel around 100-120km in town. Crazy! We've been ripped off by a taxi driver who charged us 10 dirham to get from the mall. Yesterday we went twice the distance for 6.50 dirham which about $2.25 NZ.
The flight over with Etihad was long. Lochie was really sick and had to get Imodium from the cabin crew. Thought he had food poisoning, probably the sweet & sour pork he ate at Sydney airport. By the time we were landing I felt sick and had a splitting headache. The other two kiwis also felt sick so we had the driver stop at a pharmacy at 1am and bought Imodium.
We were met at the airport just as we disembarked with a woman with our name on a sheet of paper. We were treated like royalty and led along the long walk down to immigration. A porter was summoned with a flick of her wrist and our numerous bags were loaded onto a trolley. Ironically, I've spent years teaching Lochie to be the gentleman and lift our bags only to have him told, "No, Sir. You not lift!" Lochie and the bags were loaded into one car and sent off while us three Kiwis and an English girl went with our driver.
First impressions were what at clean city. The mosiac tiles bordering the highway were a sight to see. We travelled at great speed into the city taking in all the sights along the way, remembering it's after midnight but everything was all lit up.
On arrival at our hotel we got given rooms, girls on the 4th floor, boys on the 8th (including Lochie). So he's in teenage heaven with his own room. The boys do boy stuff (eat) and hang out together. They are locals at a food bar a couple of doors down from our hotel. It's been great for the boys to have each other while us girls roam the malls.
Our accomodation is at the Murjan Asfar Hotel Apartments next to Pizza Hut. As there are no street addresses and it's even difficult to know what street you are in, you use landmarks to get taxis. Rooms are nice, ours are basic but some have lounges.
We have discovered a walking track around a woman's park that has a soft surface so we go out at 6am for our daily walk. Then we all meet for breakfast and decide what we will do that day.
Must away. Still having a bit of trouble getting the technology set up but seems to be getting easier. Internet in the hotel is erratic and I often lose my work.
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